The Snoop 6.28.2012

The Fourth of July – Independence Day – will be observed next Wednesday, but the national holiday will actually be celebrated Friday, Saturday and Sunday with three major events planned in the Ava area.
Heart of the Ozarks Healthcare Center has the premier celebration event in Ava. That will be Friday night. Then on Saturday night, the Squires Picnic will be held, with more entertainment, games and of, course, fireworks. And on Sunday, Highway Church of the Nazarene north of Ava will present its annual Fourth of July event, Celebrate America.
In addition to these three major events, several other patriotic celebrations will be held between now and the Fourth, or perhaps even into next weekend. And that is good. It is good that Americans celebrate liberty, freedom, and independence that has been enjoyed now for well over 200 years.
Just as we often put up reminders as to what we really celebrate at Christmas, we should also be certain that we not forget what we are celebrating on July 4. Our children are not in school at this time of year, so we can’t rely on teachers to tell them about the wars and sacrifices that were necessary to earn this freedom we enjoy.
As we observe fireworks with our children and grandchildren, let’s be sure they know that the pyrotechnics are an exhibition of our jubilation. To some, the fireworks represent “the rockets’ red glare” and the “bombs bursting in air.” To others the fireworks represent the celebrations that were held as word spread that the independence had been won and our country would be free from the tyranny of Great Britain.
In case you’ve forgotten the American history you studied in high school, here’s a reminder of what took place back in 1774-1776, copied from Wikipedia on the Internet.
“The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which 13 colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America. They first rejected the authority of the Parliament of Great Britain to govern them from overseas without representation, and then expelled all royal officials. By 1774, each colony had established a Provincial Congress, or an equivalent governmental institution, to govern itself, but still within the empire. The British responded by sending combat troops to re-impose direct rule. Through representatives sent in 1775 to the Second Continental Congress, the states joined together at first to defend their respective self-governance and manage the armed conflict against the British known as the American Revolutionary War. Ultimately, the states collectively determined that the British monarchy, by acts of tyranny, could no longer legitimately claim their allegiance. They then severed ties with the British Empire in July 1776, when the Congress issued the United States Declaration of Independence, rejecting the monarchy on behalf of the new sovereign nation separate and external to the British Empire. The war ended with effective American victory in October 1781, followed by formal British abandonment of any claims to the United States with the Treaty of Paris in 1783.